Palak(Spinacia oleracea)

An introduction to Palak

 

Palak is an edible flowering plant which grows up to a height of 30cm. This plant belongs to Amaranthaceae plant family and originated in central Asia. Palak is the most popular and widely cultivated green leafy vegetable of India. It is also known as Indian spinach or Beet spinach. Palak is an easy to grow vegetable which can be cultivated throughout the year. Palak has a top position among the ingredients used in Indian food preparations. It can grow in our kitchen garden like Amaranthus.

Nutritional contents in Palak

Palak is a warehouse of nutrients and minerals like calcium, phosphorous, iron, carotene, vitamin C, folic acid, antioxidants, dietary fibers and more.

Nutritional values/100gm Palak

Calories: 23

Total fat: 04g

Saturated fat: 0.1g

Polyunsaturated fat: 0.2g

Sodium: 79mg

Potassium: 558mg

Total carbohydrate: 3.6g

Dietary fiber: 2.2g

Sugar: 0.4g

Protein: 2.9g

Vitamin A: 187%

Vitamin B-6: 10%

Vitamin C: 46%

Iron: 15%

Calcium: 9%

Magnesium: 19%

Percent values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Palak recipes

 

Palak is a delicious food item which can be included in recipes like various salads and used it in combination with paneer, potato, cauliflower, chicken and more for making versatile dish for vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

Cultivation

Palak grows in partial to full sunlight so it can be cultivated anywhere in your premise like ground, terrace, balcony, windowsill etc. It grows well in all types of garden containers like plastic pots, trays, clay pots, plastic bottles, grow bags, window boxes etc. Propagation of this plant is from seeds. Palak is a season free vegetable suitable for year round cultivation. 

Health benefits from regular consumption of Palak

 

Palak is best natural health tonic human beings which has the following health benefits;

·        Prevent diabetics.

·        Great for healthy cardiac system.

·        Helps to lose your weight

·        Helps to improve the quality of your sperm.

·        Used for the treatment of Constipation.

·        Works as a skin tonic.

·        Helps to keep your teeth healthy and whiter.

·        Helps to prevent Cancer.

·        Prevents ailments in your Eyes.

·        Prevents Brain damages.

Protect your health by including Palak in your regular diet.

Visit Keralaponics or contact us on 09387735697 for more information on apartment gardening, Aquaponics, Hydropnics, Bottle gardening, Self watering planters and for purchasing plants and accessories.

 

Tippa Teega (Chittamruthu)

Tippa Teega an overview

Tippa Teega (Tinospora cordifolia) is a herb which is traditionally used for controlling diabetics. Barks of this climbing shrub are grey brown or cream-white and warty. The heart shaped leaf Tippa teega is pointed at the tip and having margin. Small flowers appear in the summer and fruits in the winter. The plant climbing on a Neem tree is considered as having more medicinal value. Tippa Teega is known as chittamruthu in Kerala. It grows in the tropical and subtropical regions up to an altitude of 300 meters. It is a useful herbal remedy for infections, recurrent fevers, cancer of all types, high uric acid, in flu of all types, in low immunity and more.

Common names of Tippa Teega in Indian Languages

Hindi: Geloy

Sanskrit: Amritavalli

Malayalam: Chittamruth

Tamil: Shindilakodi

Kannada: Amritaballi

Telugu: Hippateega

Marathi: Gulvel

Oriya: Guluchi

Punjabi: Gilo

Kashmiri: Gilo

Medicinal properties 

 

Tippa teega have medicinal properties like Anti-periodic, Anti-spasmodic, Anti-inflamatory, Anti-arthritic, Anti-oxidant, Anti-allergic, Anti-stress, Anti-leprotic, Anti-malarial, Hepatoprotective, Immunomodulatory and Anti-neoplastic activities. The plant also contains alkaloids, glycosides and steroids. 

Health Benefits of Tippa teega

 Tippa teegga is used for the treatment of Diabetics, Fever, Hepatitis, Swine flu, Obesity and more. Tippa teega is used as the main ingredient in so many Ayurvedic formulations. 

Visit Keralaponics or contact us on 09387735697 for more information on apartment gardening, Aquaponics, Hydropnics, Bottle gardening, Self watering planters and for purchasing plants and accessories.

Red-flame Ivy (Murikooti)

An introduction

Red flame-ivy (Hemigraphis colorata Blume) is a tropical perennial herb which grows up to 30cm height. It belongs to Acanthaceae plant family. In Kerala, Red flame-ivy is known as Murikooti or Muriyan pacha. Vranaropani is the Sanskrit name of Red flame-ivy. Metal leaf, Aluminium plant, Java Ivy, Cemetary plant, Waffle plant are other common names of Red flame-ivy.  Word meaning of Murikootti is wound healer. It is also an air freshener plant. 

Due to its colorful foliages, Murikootti is using as a garden plant. It could be grown as indoor or outdoor potted plant or as hanging plants. Traditionally use it as drugs, dyes and food supplements. As per International Journal of Herbal Medicines, Murikootti leaves contain phytochemicals like flavonoids, polyphenols, tannins along with high potassium and low sodium levels which provides curative properties.

Medicinal uses of Murikootti

1.  A paste made from Murikootti leaves is used for the treatment of cuts and wounds.                                                                                                  

2. Murikootti is used for stopping all external bleeding.

     3. Used for the treatment of Anaemia, Ulcers, Inflamations, Pitta, Skin        complaints and more.                                                                                                4. It controls Blood sugar.

Murikootti is a must to keep plant in every home.

Visit Keralaponics or contact us on 09387735697 for more information on apartment gardening, Aquaponics, Hydropnics, Bottle gardening, Self watering planters and for purchasing plants and accessories.

NFT Aquaponics system

Aquaponics an overview

 

Aquaponics is an agricultural practice which combines hydroponics and aquaculture. Fish and vegetables are growing together in an aquaponics system. We could harvest fresh vegetables on the account of fish culture is the major benefit from aquaponics. Aquaponics enable us to enhance the organic food production considerably with less investment. There are mainly three methods of aquaponics systems are in use; they are Media bed, Raft bed or Deep water culture and Nutrient film technique based.

NFT Aquaponics system

 

In a Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Aquaponics system, the nutrient rich fish tank water is pumped to channels or pipes where plants are placed in small plastic pots. The pumped water circulated through the roots of the plants which absorbs the dissolved nutrients. Plant roots are exposed to adequate supply of water, oxygen and nutrients in an NFT Aquaponics system. Mainly leafy vegetables are cultivated in this system. The larger plants are not suitable for growing in NFT system because their root systems are too big and invasive or they become too heavy for the lightweight growing channels.

Simple NFT Aquaponics system @ Keralaponics

 

Keralaponics is dedicated to develop and promote affordable systems in Aquaponics and Urban/apartment gardening. The system shown in the photo is a demo cost effective NFT aquaponics system @ Keralaponics.

A ground tank with size 1mx1mx1m is used as the fish tank, and a 4” PVC pipe frame with holes for inserting 4” diameter plastic pots as grow bed. For the pumping purpose, a 15w aquarium power head is used. Various beans and spinach varieties are planted in pots using 3/4”crushed rubble, tiles pieces and coconut pieces as potting mixture.

Cost of this system could be cut down considerably by using 2L cola bottles instead of 4” PVC pipe and plastic pots.

Start aquaponics gardening today; it is the real way to progress.

 

Visit Keralaponics or contact us on 09387735697 for more information on apartment gardening, Aquaponics, Hydropnics, Bottle gardening, Self watering planters and for purchasing plants and accessories.